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jadereads_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
norastar's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
serendipitysbooks's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Bird Life is an exploration of grief. When Dinah's twin brother dies by suicide she tries to escape her grief by moving to Japan to teach English. While there she meets Yasuko, an older colleague who is dealing with her own grief - alienation from her son which is connected to her special power, a power her family treat liek a mental illness, of being able to communicate with animals. Smaill captured the Tokyo setting and the minutae of the women's daily lives perfectly; in many ways this read like a Japanese novel. The plot such as it is - this is more a novel of the mind and of interior thoughts - does tend to wander and has a bit of a dreamlike quality to it.Yasuko's powers and the ghost of Dinah's brother lent it an other worldly feel. Sometimes I loved the writing; other times it felt a little overdone. While this wasn't a total win for me , it did leave me keen to explore the author's backlist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide
kyra_c_c's review against another edition
2.0
This book is either just not my thing, or I have read it at the wrong time in my life. The depiction of Dinah's grief was compelling and moving, and the exploration of Yaskuko's powers and past was interesting, but overall I found the prose to be too esoteric to enjoy properly. It felt like the book wafted around me and never entered my mind properly at all. It had a seriously soporific effect. I am looking forward to discussing it at my Book Club as I think this will help me appreciate it more.
alexrafinski's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
4.25
Well that was a weird book. A Japanese lady and a New Zealand lady have both lost someone and are both struggling to cope mentally (although it seems one was struggling before hand as well). They meet in Tokyo as they both teach at the same college and they seem to be able to help each other. But to be honest I wasn't really sure what was going on a lot of the time. I still enjoyed the read though.
helentait's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A challenging book dealing with mental health issue.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide
watergirl50610's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I feel bad for giving it a 3, because it was good! I just didn't completely grasp the deeper concept it was getting at. Maybe with a reread I could find more meaning to it, but otherwise..
j_h_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A dreamy nonsensical book. The writing is beautiful, lyrical even. If you want a book that has a clear beginning, middle, end then this book is not for you. But if you are looking for a book that explores loss, loneliness, and death, and the hope of rebirth that doesn't tell you how you should "do" all these things then Bird Life will be like a breath of fresh air.
terranovanz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0